Tuesday, June 14, 2016

The Necessity of Criticism

If you haven't listened to Molyneux's rant, it is well worth your time.

We are not willing to bring societal pressure on Islam to reform itself. That's what is needed -- not new laws against "hate" speech. Hate is a basic human right. I will defend your right to hate me, for example. In return, I expect you to defend my right to hate Terry Jack's "Seasons in the Sun", rap, hip-hop, the IRS and the EPA.

Hate whatever you like. Criticize whatever.

We need to be able to say to Muslims that attacking gays, marrying little girls, mutilating little girls, raping little boys, "honor killings", and such is sick and primitive. If Muslims cannot handle that kind of criticism, if they cannot adapt to civilization, then they need to isolate themselves from civilized people and stay in their various third-world hellholes.

While we are at it, we need to say the same thing to some of the black people out there in places like Ferguson and Baltimore, to feminists, to gays, to transgender folks, and -- especially, to politicians. We have a right to criticize you. We have a right to hate your stupid, criminal, or barbaric behavior and to call you out about it.

You don't have to agree with us. We can have a dialogue -- unless you end the conversation by calling us racist, homophobic, sexist, islamophobic, etc. I am not a racist because I dislike the knock-out game or other thuggish, criminal behavior. You don't get a pass on barbarism and criminality because you happen to have darker pigmentation in your skin or even because some white people who were much richer than my ancestors and completely unrelated to me held some of your ancestors as slaves two hundred years ago.

To have a civilized society -- the kind of society that makes everybody more prosperous, healthier and happier -- requires ALL of us to recognize the social contract. The contract itself is not racist or sexiest simply because some white guys were the ones who put it together for the benefit of future generations.

The fact is, it works. It doesn't work because it is a tradition. It is a tradition because it works. The non-traditionalists need to recognize and accept that. Reality has shaped tradition. Reality will eventually show some non-traditional groups the error of their ways. Nothing is going to stop that, but accepting the criticism and engaging in a meaningful, honest dialogue with civilization might prevent a lot of bloodshed.

Quotables

The true Christian should not resign himself to the inevitable: he should trust in the impertinence of a repeated prayer. -- Don Colacho

Political tags — such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth — are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire. The former are idealists acting from highest motives for the greatest good of the greatest number. The latter are surly curmudgeons, suspicious and lacking in altruism. But they are more comfortable neighbors than the other sort. -- Robert A. Heinlein

When law and morality are in contradiction, the citizen finds himself in the cruel dilemma of either losing his moral sense or of losing respect for the law -- Bastiat

The tank, the B-52, the fighter-bomber, the state-controlled police and military are the weapons of dictatorship. The rifle is the weapon of democracy.

If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military. The hired servants of our rulers.

Only the government -- and a few outlaws.

I intend to be among the outlaws.--Edward Abbey from “The Right to Arms”

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